Utah to get $800k in grants for veteran suicide prevention

SALT LAKE CITY — More than $800,000 was awarded to two community organizations that provide suicide prevention services for veterans in Utah.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded Utah organizations $804,740 in grants, as part of $112 million being distributed to 191 suicide prevention organizations nationwide.

Utah State University will receive $747,048 to serve Duchesne, Salt Lake, Tooele and Uintah Counties. A $750,000 grant to Blue Star Families Inc. will cover counties across 13 states, and a portion will go to Salt Lake County, according to the Veterans Affairs list of grant recipients.

The funds come from the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and will be available for fiscal year 2027. The grants go to nonprofits, state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, and other community-based organizations that serve veterans.

"Suicide prevention is VA's top clinical priority, and all VA healthcare facilities provide veterans same-day emergency mental health care access if they need it," said a statement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Reaching veterans in need of help, however, can be a challenge. Approximately 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving any Veterans Affairs healthcare in the last year of life, the department said. The Fox grants program helps bridge the gap by directing funding to community-based organizations.

In 2025, approximately 17,000 veterans, service members and family members received services through Fox grantees, marking a 31% increase from 2024. More than 340 at-risk veterans were connected to life-saving emergency mental healthcare through these grants, the department said.

"Community organizations play a vital role in strengthening the support network available to Utah veterans," said Dr. Angela D. Williams, executive director of the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System. "These grants provide veterans with lifesaving support and ensure they have access to the care and resources they deserve right here in our community."

The grants also aim to connect veterans to Veterans Affairs health care, and so far this year, more than 270,000 veterans have been enrolled, the department said.

Veterans Affairs provides a "veterans crisis line" for veterans in need to call, chat and text. To reach responders, dial 988, then press 1; chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat; or text 838255.

The department said crisis line usage increased 7.1% last year, and the tool has a satisfaction rate of more than 97.3%.

In the last few months, Veterans Affairs has completed more than 5.5 million suicide risk screenings, an increase of 100,000 from last year. The department also provides emergency suicide prevention care for those experiencing acute suicidal crisis.

Related topics